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Clarifixer 06-17-2013 09:22 PM

eBay lathe all cleaned up
 
I've been starting to get a second bench together for either a potential apprentice or perhaps some on-on-one lessons for interested folks. I'd like to duplicate my own bench space as much as possible to make an easier transition from "watching" to "doing" for students.

The first thing I picked was up a Boley watchmaker's lathe on eBay that was pretty rough, but with excellent bearings:http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/...eBayBoley1.jpg
After a couple of hours of disassembly and standing at the bead blast cabinet and wire wheel, it looks pretty good, and is awaiting an upgraded toothed belt drive system and a few other details:
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/...nedup61013.jpg

Amazing what a little elbow grease and time will unveil. Next up is a Boley-style watchmaker's vise I just won today--might do an electroless nickel plate job on it after the bead blast/wire wheel routine. Pics when I get it.

Masterlu 06-17-2013 09:23 PM

Well, that's just crazy good! :eek:

Audio 1 06-17-2013 09:33 PM

Very impressive finish restoration :thumbsup:

Ohighway 06-18-2013 10:30 AM

Nice! What type of finish are you planning on applying to the metal? Paint or ??

Clarifixer 06-18-2013 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ohighway (Post 503638)
Nice! What type of finish are you planning on applying to the metal? Paint or ??

I'm not really sure. Originally they were nickel plated, but I've never seen one that has the plating completely intact. A bit gaudy anyway. Newer Boleys appear to have hammertone silver paint, and it does look nice, but tends to wear off at heavily handled areas. Powder coating with a matt finish would probably be longer lasting, but precision surfaces would have to be really carefully protected when it is applied. That might be a problem.

I've been keeping a light coating of RIG Universal on the bare metal and might leave it at that. The machine is quite small and will be in use often--I'll just have to be sure to keep after it. Reapplication of RIG is a cinch and it's cheap.

Ohighway 06-18-2013 12:07 PM

2 Attachment(s)
What's RIG Universal?

A buddy of mine loaned me an Austrian made Unimat 3 lathe.....semi-permanent loan I think.... and I've been doing a light clean and lube. (sorry for the fuzzy pix) It appears to be a nice quality piece, but I'm not used to a lathe that's this small!

http://www.audioaficionado.org/attac...1&d=1371572582

http://www.audioaficionado.org/attac...1&d=1371572545

Rilands 06-18-2013 12:38 PM

Clarifixer,
Nice clean-up. It looks new again. I had no idea what a lathe was though, so I looked it up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lathe

Clarifixer 06-18-2013 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ohighway (Post 503672)
What's RIG Universal?

A buddy of mine loaned me an Austrian made Unimat 3 lathe.....semi-permanent loan I think.... and I've been doing a light clean and lube. (sorry for the fuzzy pix) It appears to be a nice quality piece, but I'm not used to a lathe that's this small!

RIG Universal is a grease used to prevent corrosion on sporting goods like guns, fishing reels, etc.

Birchwood Casey: RIG Product Details

The Unimat 3 is a fun little screw cutting lathe with a cross feed and compound tool rest as opposed to the watchmaker lathe which has a flip-up tool rest kind of like a wood lathe so that you can utilize hand gravers and other tools for tiny work. My "real" lathe is an Emco Super 11, the big brother of the Unimat.

Clarifixer 06-25-2013 12:10 PM

Well, I got the vise I won on eBay, but I should have read the ad more closely--this thing is TINY! It is, indeed a Boley-style tool, but less than half the size of the one I have.

http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/...eLsidecopy.jpg

Cute, but I'm not sure if I can really use it. Just the same, I did the same clean-up as with the lathe, and couldn't resist making a little knurled "speed knob" on the end of the lead screw.
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/...ecleanedup.jpg

Still looking for a real Boley.

chessman 06-25-2013 05:02 PM

Wow, that looks so much better!


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